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Wednesday, June 6, 2018

I'm returning to this song fresh off a flame war on Twitter. Susan Cattaneo's up-beat "Work Hard Love Harder" feels like a good reminder of how to conduct ourselves on days where everyone is on edge -- not to mention a reminder of focusing on what really matters. (Spoiler: it's not the opinion of a music journalist in New York or an 18-year-old in Kansas City.) The whole thing has made me wonder why I feel so damn strongly about proving...what? I guess that I have dignity after having a slur thrown at me?

I think there's more to be said about how we conduct ourselves in those moments. I think Susan Cattaneo can anchor us there.

With the Bottle Rockets backing the song, you know it's a high-energy romp. The video is fun as heck to watch, and its setting in a church speaks volumes -- a silent reminder about what spaces like that were originally intended to promote. Cattaneo's new double album, The Hammer and the Heart, has hit #1 on the Billboard Northeast Heatseekers chart and it's easy to see why. Simple truths and straightforward songs never get old. Clearly, we still need them desperately.

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In times of change, we turn to music. There is no denying that this election brought out the cracks in American society. There is no denying that there are entire segments of the population that do not know or understand each other. The best way to do so is by listening to each other. This blog stands against the racism, homophobia, transphobia, nationalism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, ableism, and normalizing of rape culture that was present in American society but is now normalized by Trump's campaign rhetoric. This blog commits to featuring the voices of LGBT and POC artists, even if and when that means straying outside of Americana. We want you to listen to everyone's voices.